WO1996013424A1

WO1996013424A1 - Powered swimming aid

Info

Publication number: WO1996013424A1
Application number: PCT/US1994/012371
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daryoush Keyvani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-10-26
Filing date: 1994-10-26
Publication date: 1996-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1997-04-26
Also published as: AU8127794A

Abstract

A powered swimming aid comprising a stabilizing member (58) attached to the user's back, and a buoyancy device (74) rigidly attached to the stabilizing member (58), the buoyancy device (74) being located below the user's hips so as to cause the body to rotate to a good swimming position. The rigid structure also has mounted on it a drive mechanism (52) terminating in a propeller (86) located below the user's hips so as to cause the body to rotate to a good swimming position and provide powered motion to the user. A forward held buoyancy board (96) has side handles (98) and a control (100) for controlling the drive mechanism (52). A buoyant vest (54) is worn on the user's chest.

Description

HUE: POWERED SWIMMING AID

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to swimming aids and more particularly to

a powered swimming aid that acts as a floatation device while allowing a swimmer to

maintain a horizontal swimming position in the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of flotation devices are known for use by swimmers, practically all of

which are simply floats that prevent a person from sinking and possibly drowning and

which have the drawback of hindering free movement of a swimming person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The center of gravity of a human body in water is shifted to the lower portion of

the body because of the specific gravity of the lungs. Existing flotation devices

increase the buoyancy of the upper part of the body causing the body to be maintained

in essentially a vertical position.

It is the object of the invention to provide a device that permits free movement of

a swimmer's arms and legs while acting as a float. The primary advantage of the

swimming aid is to readjust the center of gravity of a body in water to the midsection of the body, making it easier for a swimmer to maintain a horizontal position in the

water.

Existing floatation devices attach to the widest part of the body and have a large

surface area which dramatically increases the surface resistance to movement in

water. An additional advantage of the present invention is that it provides a buoyancy

equivalent to the inventions in the prior art, but with a hydrodynamically designed

shape that lessens the surface resistance of the water providing the swimmer greater

ease and speed than existing floatation devices.

According to the invention, the new device comprises a vest fabricated from a

flexible material comprising front and rear sections. These sections include an

aperture with edges that extend around the neck of the wearer. Upper and lower

crosswise extending stiffening members extend outward from a downward extending

rod. A float extends from the lower end of the rod, the float being angularly disposed

to the longitudinal axis of the rod. The back of the vest is connected to the upper

crosswise extending stiffening member by quick releasing connecting means. Straps

attached to the side sections of the upper crosswise extending stiffening member

extend under the armpits and are connected to straps attached on the front sides of the

vest by quick releasing connecting means securing the vest to the upper body. Straps

attached to the side sections of the lower crosswise extending stiffening member pass

between the legs under the crotch of the wearer and are connected to straps on the

lower front section of the vest by quick releasing connecting means firmly securing

the swimming aid to the body. A power assembly is attached to the structure, a drive portion being located at the

user's lower torso and driving a propeller which is positioned below the user's knees.

The power assembly propels the user through the water and also, by reason of the

angle and position of the propeller, helps keep the user's head above water. A

floatation board also is provided and holds a control module for the drive assembly.

The device can be used for sport, recreation and transporting a person in the water.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from

the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying

drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the invention as worn by a swimmer,

showing the swimmer' s preferred attitude in a body of water;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the invention shown laid-out; and

FIGURE 3 is a view of the back frame of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a powered swimming aid that allows a person to be

propelled through the water in a nearly horizontal position. The aid is comprised

generally of a lower torso buoyancy assembly 50, a power assembly 52, a vest

assembly 54 and a float and control assembly 56.

The lower torso buoyancy assembly 50 has a rigid beam 58 which is attached

to the top of a platform 60. Attached to the underside of the platform 60 is a back

frame 62, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. It is formed by bending a rigid

wire or rod into the desired shape to form a rigid frame. The ends can be welded or

otherwise connected where they contact each other. The frame 62 provides a lower

stabilizing portion 64, which has a pair of lower lobes 66 which extend laterally to fit

at the user's lower torso. There is a central spine portion 68 which extends upwardly

and an upper stabilizing portion 70 comprising upper lobes 72 which extend laterally

to fit over the user's upper torso. The upper stabilizing portion 70 and the lower

stabilizing portion 64 are custom-bent to comfortably fit the user's body and are

preferably covered with plastic tubing or foam for comfort.

The back frame 62, platform 60 and beam 58 are so assembled as to form a

rigid structure, which, as seen in FIG. 1 , has the beam 58 extending downwardly

toward the user's feet. A buoyancy device 74 is mounted from the beam 58. The

buoyancy device 74 is preferably a sealed elongated tank and is fitted on the beam 58

by mounting assemblies 76 and 78, and is oriented with respect to the beam 58 by mounting assemblies 76 and 78. It is oriented with respect to the beam 58 so that it

extends downwardly and at an angle away from the beam 58, and therefore at an

angle away from the user's body. Preferably the buoyancy device 74 does not

prohibit the user from walking upright when on shore. By this configuration, as seen

in Figure 1 , when in use the tank floats horizontally while the beam 58 extends into

the water downward at a rearwardly extending angle. Thus, the upper portion of the

user's body is lifted into a better swimming position. In addition, the buoyancy

device 74 has sufficient buoyancy to overcome the weight of the power assembly 52,

the swimmer's lower torso and the downward force caused by water flow against the

upper body. This latter effect is similar to the effect on a motor boat, which is forced

downward at its rear end when power is applied to drive in a forward direction.

The power assembly 52 comprises a motor 80, a speed reducer 82, a shaft 84,

a propeller 86 and a guard 88. The motor 80 is mounted on the platform 60 over the

beam 58. Any convenient fastener assembly may be used to accomplish this

mounting. The shaft 84 extends from the speed reducer 82 parallel to the beam 58,

having attached at its terminal end, the propeller 86. The shaft is maintained in place

by bearings (not shown) incorporated into the mounting assemblies 76 and 78. Also

the drive attachment 90 between the motor 80 and the speed reducer 82 as well as the

shaft 84 will preferably have some type of flexible joints to accommodate

misalignment. The guard 88 is an assembly of open wirework attached to the

mounting assembly 76. The motor 80 preferably includes a control assembly 92

which incorporates a control cable 94. The float and control assembly 56 comprises a curved plastic buoyant float 96, hand grips 98 and a control module 100. The control cable 94 is operably attached to

the control module 100 to communicate speed control and shut-off commands for the

motor 80, the control module 100 having means to vary those functions through the

cable to the motor 80. The control cable 94 is a mechanical means, but electrical or even radio or sonar communications could be used. An additional control could

operate a clutch to disconnect the motor 80 from the shaft 84.

The vest assembly 54 has a floatation vest 102 which has a body portion 104 and shoulder straps 106 which are attached to portions of the upper lobes 72.

Therefore, when worn the shoulder straps extend over the shoulders from the upper

back to the chest of the user, the body portion 104 of the vest 102 covering the front of the user's torso.

Upper vest side straps 108 and lower vest side straps 110 extend laterally from

the sides of the vest 102. Crotch vest straps 112 extend laterally from the sides of the vest 102. These straps have connection devices at their ends.

On each of the upper loops 72 there is attached an upper frame side strap 114,

and on each of the lower loops 66 there is attached a lower frame side strap 116.

These straps have connection devices at their ends for fastening them respectively to

the upper vest side straps 108 and lower vest side straps 110. Similarly, crotch frame straps 118 are attached to the lower loops 66 and have connection devices to fasten

between the user's legs to the crotch vest straps 112.

An exemplary motor 80 is a Homelite ST 175. An exemplary speed reducer

operates at a 1 :4 ratio. Other types of motors could be used, for example, an electric

motor powered by a rechargeable battery could be used. The speed reducer may not

be necessary if the motor speed is suitable for the intended use. As noted above a

clutch could be incorporated into the power train.

In use, the embodiment above will, in general, urge the torso toward an

upright floating position. The buoyancy device 74, acting through the beam 58 and

the stabilizing frame 70, will rotate the body into a good swimming position by lifting

the lower torso, the vest 54 still keeping the upper portion of the torso above or at the

surface. The buoyancy member 74 provides a buoyancy force at least equal to any

downward dynamic force encountered from water resistance due to forward

propulsion plus the weight of the powered swimming aid plus the weight of the

person's lower torso. This is crucial to the proper functioning of the swimming aid,

because as the swimmer moves forward in the water, the water resistance tends to

push the upper part of the body upward, thus driving the lower body downward.

However, with the buoyancy member 74 designed to overcome these forces, the

swimmer is able to keep the lower part of the body up so as to swim in a nearly

horizontal position. The propeller 86 is positioned below the buoyancy member 74

and is rearwardly and downwardly angled, thus remaining submerged at all forward

speeds. The float 56 is used to change directions and provide a resting place for the arms. By adjusting the float 56 position, a comfortable, fast movement through the

water is accomplished.

The invention obviously may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not

to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such

modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included

within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A powered swimming aid to be worn on the body of a person comprising;

a lower torso buoyancy assembly attachable to the back of the person's torso having a lower stabilizing member for placement proximate the person's lower torso

and being a rigid member extending substantially across the person's body and an

upper stabilizing member rigidly attached to the lower stabilizing member and located

above and spaced from the lower stabilizing member for placement proximate the

person's shoulders and a rigid elongate buoyancy device rigidly attached to the lower

stabilizing member to form therewith a single rigid structure, the buoyancy device

being located above the lower stabilizing member, and means for attaching the lower

stabilizing member and the upper stabilizing member to the person's torso;

and a drive assembly mounted near the lower torso buoyancy assembly comprising a rotational power train terminating in a propeller located below the person's knees; the drive assembly being incorporated as a part of the aforesaid single

rigid structure with the buoyancy member being displaced from the propeller away

from a person' s body.

2. The powered swimming aid of Claim 1 wherein the rotational power train

comprises a motor mounted on the lower torso buoyancy assembly adjacent the person's back, a speed reducer operably connected to the motor and located below the motor, a drive shaft extending downwardly from the speed reducer and the propeller

being mounted on the drive shaft.

3. The powered swimming aid of Claim 1 further comprising a floatation vest

attached to the lower torso buoyancy assembly and spaced therefrom to enable the

floatation vest to be placed on the person's front torso.

4. The powered swimming aid of Claim 3 wherein the lower stabilizing

member and the upper stabilizing member are formed of rigid rod material bent into

the defined shape thereof.

5. The powered swimming aid of Claim 1, said drive assembly further comprising a mounting plate mounted on said buoyancy assembly proximate to the person's lower torso and a motor being mounted on the mounting plate, and an elongated bar attached to and extending downwardly from the mounting plate.

6. The powered swimming aid of Claim 5 wherein the buoyancy device is

attached to the elongated bar and extending downwardly and being angled away from the person's body along its elongate dimension.

7. The powered swimming aid of claim 1 further comprising a float to provide

buoyancy to the user's hands and arms and to further enable direction control to the

person.

8. The powered swimming aid of Claim 7 further comprising a control module on said float having controls at least for controlling speed and shut off of the

drive assembly and control communication means for transmitting control commands from the control module to the drive assembly.

9. The powered swimming aid of Claim 7 wherein said float has hand

gripping means on each side for the user's hands.

10. The powered swimming aid of Claim 9 wherein the float has a rear

portion accepting a user's arms for resting, and an upwardly curved front portion.

11. The powered swimming aid of Claim 1 wherein the buoyancy device

having its long dimension extending downwardly of a person's body below the lower stabilizing member and being angled away from the person's body along its elongate

dimension and means for attaching the lower stabilizing member to the lower portion of a person's torso whereby buoyancy of the buoyancy device acts on the lower

stabilizing member and the upper stabilizing member to orient the torso into a

comfortable position.

12. The powered swimming aid of Claim 1 wherein the drive assembly is mounted on top of and between the lower stabilizing member and the upper

stabilizing member.

13. A powered swimming aid to be worn on the torso of a person comprising:

a buoyant member adapted to be located substantially below the person's hips

and to the rear of the person's body;

a stabilizing member adapted to be attached to the person's torso at or above

the person's hips;

the buoyant member and the stabilizing member being rigidly interconnected

to define a lower torso buoyancy assembly;

a drive assembly mounted to the lower torso buoyancy assembly comprising a

rotational power train terminating in a propeller located below the person's knees;

whereby buoyancy action of the buoyant member is transmitted to the

person's body to urge the person's body toward a generally horizontal swimming

position and the drive assembly provides powered motion through the water.

14. The powered swimming aid of Claim 13 further comprising a floatation

vest attached to the lower torso buoyancy assembly and spaced therefrom to enable

the floatation vest to be placed on the front of the person's torso.

15. The powered swimming aid of Claim 6 wherein the drive assembly

further comprises a shaft driven by the motor at one end and having the propeller

rotatably attached at the other end.

16. The powered swimming aid of Claim I wherein the propeller and

buoyancy device extend less than the length of the person's legs.

17. The powered swimming aid of Claim 16 wherein the shaft is rotatably

supported on the elongated bar.

18. The powered swimming aid of claim 1 wherein the buoyancy member

provides a buoyancy force at least equal to any downward dynamic force encountered

from water resistance due to forward propulsion plus the weight of the powered

swimming aid plus the weight of the person's lower torso.

19. The powered swimming aid of claim 1 wherein the propeller is positioned

rearwardly and downwardly angled so as to remain submerged at all forward speeds.